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SCMP Reporter

Loving the English language
Even if you know all the learning tips, if you don't start putting them into practice, you will achieve nothing. The fact is, if you want to learn to speak English well, you must change your life.
Here are some examples of things you will have to do: read an English language book for an hour every day, analysing the grammar and looking up any new words in a dictionary; listen to an audiobook or other recording in English, stopping it to understand what is being said and to imitate the speaker's pronunciation.
What kind of person would do all these things? Only one kind, the kind of person who enjoys doing them. If you want to learn to speak English well, you're going to have to become that person.
You cannot hate doing these things. Have you ever heard of a person who became successful by doing something he hated?
Vijay Varma, California School
All in a name?
Hong Kong is jammed with high-end shopping malls, and it seems that all those shops are full of wealthy people with money to burn on the brand names standing shoulder to shoulder on the shelves.
In my view, these wealthy people don't buy things that they need, they buy things because they are fashionable and stylish. But nowadays it's not only wealthy businessmen buying luxury brands, even secondary school students want brand-name products.
Labels like Gucci, Prada and LV are becoming more and more popular among secondary school students.
I am not rich at all. I seldom use brand-name products and I am not in favour of them.
I think that many students use brand-name products just to show off how rich they are, whereas I think that using something is more important than owning it.
What matters to you most when you buy something, its quality or its name?
I believe that a man's worth lies, not so much in what he has, as in what he is!
Margaret Wong
The gift of love
Nowadays many children think that if they buy a gift for their parents on Mother's or Father's Day, their parents will be happy. But they are tricked into thinking like this by the claims made in advertisements and don't realise that love doesn't come from presents; it comes from one's heart. And sometimes their parents don't even need or like these gifts.
Some children don't like the fact that their parents are always busy or that they put so many restrictions on them. They feel ignored.
These children may also suffer from stress at school and blame their parents for not encouraging them to study harder.
I think parents should spend more time with their children and try to listen to their thoughts and frustrations. But children should also respect their parents and try to understand that they have to work hard to earn money for the family.
Both have to understand each other. In my opinion only then there will be true love within the family. Rather than buying a gift once or twice a year, love is the best gift that parents and children can give each other.
Dhruv Singh, Sir Ellis Kadoorie Primary School
Value your time
Time is precious. We can remember a forgotten thing, we can earn lost money and we can even regain lost health. But time once gone, has gone forever. Therefore we should make the very best use of the time at our disposal. We have a limited number of years to live and should live these meaningfully. We should make the best possible use of every moment.
Even if one lives for a hundred years, it is not that long, so no one should waste time in idleness.
Some people think that it is very difficult to pass time. They waste their time watching TV for several hours or sit and waste their time in idle gossip.
Students should spend most of their time in study, and play some games in their spare time. Someone who does not care for time will find that time will not care for him.
Time is our greatest gift from God. Those who utilise their time well are an example for all generations.
Chanpreet
Haste makes waste
The saying 'haste makes waste' warns us that when we act too quickly we are more likely to make mistakes and end up with poor results. For example, most spelling mistakes are the result of writing too fast and not checking our work.
'Haste makes waste' implies that it is better to do things carefully than to do them quickly and carelessly. This means that if you try to do something quickly, without forethought, you are likely
to end up spending more time, money, and the like, completing it.
Fahad Munstaz, California School
One world, one dream
On April 30 the Olympic flame was brought to Hong Kong, and it was a great pleasure to see it here.
I wanted to be one of the torchbearers because the torch symbolises the highest ideals of the Olympic spirit. It stands for peace and friendship, hopes and dreams.
The torch design looks like a 'lollypop and cloud', telling you that the world is full of sunshine and happiness.
What should we do to support our Olympics? As hosts we should improve our English, be polite and keep smiling. This is a good chance for us to communicate with foreigners and we can also learn a lot from them.
This is a historic moment for our country. If there's anything we can do to help, why not?
Lily Kong-yuet, SKH Mok Sau Tseng Bishop Secondary School



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